1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned.

I am sending this letter to you, God’s holy people in Ephesus. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, you are faithful.

² May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Praise God for His Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Those blessings come from the heavenly world. They belong to us because we belong to Christ. ⁴ God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us. ⁵ So he decided long ago to adopt us. He adopted us as his children with all the rights children have. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done. It pleased God to do it. ⁶ All those things bring praise to his glorious grace. God freely gave us his grace because of the One he loves. ⁷ We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Because he bled and died our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God’s grace is so rich. ⁸ He poured his grace on us. By giving us great wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he showed us the mystery of his plan. It was in keeping with what he wanted to do. It was what he had planned through Christ. ¹⁰ It will all come about when history has been completed. God will then bring together all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹ We were also chosen to belong to him. God decided to choose us long ago in keeping with his plan. He works out everything to fit his plan and purpose. ¹² We were the first to put our hope in Christ. We were chosen to bring praise to his glory. ¹³ You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he stamped you with an official mark. That official mark is the Holy Spirit that he promised. ¹⁴ The Spirit marks us as God’s own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all his people completely free. All these things will bring praise to his glory.

Paul Prays and Gives Thanks

¹⁵ I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus. I have also heard about your love for all God’s people. That is why ¹⁶ I have not stopped thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the glorious Father. I keep asking him to give you the wisdom and understanding that come from the Holy Spirit. I want you to know God better. ¹⁸ I pray that you may understand more clearly. Then you will know the hope God has chosen you to receive. You will know that what God will give his holy people is rich and glorious. ¹⁹ And you will know God’s great power. It can’t be compared with anything else. His power works for us who believe. It is the same mighty strength ²⁰ God showed. He showed this when he raised Christ from the dead. God seated him at his right hand in his heavenly kingdom. ²¹ There Christ sits far above all who rule and have authority. He also sits far above all powers and kings. He is above every name that is appealed to in this world and in the world to come. ²² God placed all things under Christ’s rule. He appointed him to be ruler over everything for the church. ²³ The church is Christ’s body and is filled by Christ. He fills everything in every way.

God Has Given Us New Life Through Christ

2 You were living in your sins and lawless ways. But in fact you were dead. ² You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil. He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don’t obey God. ³ At one time we all lived among them. Our desires were controlled by sin. We tried to satisfy what they wanted us to do. We followed our desires and thoughts. God was angry with us like he was with everyone else. That’s because of the kind of people we all were. ⁴ But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. ⁵ So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you. ⁶ God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom. That’s because we belong to Christ Jesus. ⁷ He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can’t be compared with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us. He was kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. ⁸ God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. ⁹ It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. ¹⁰ We are God’s creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do.

God’s New Family of Jews and Gentiles

¹¹ You who are not Jews by birth, here is what I want you to remember. You are called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “circumcised.” But they have only been circumcised in their bodies by human hands. ¹² Before you believed in Christ, you were separated from him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled his blood for you. This has brought you near to God.

¹⁴ Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and Gentiles into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us. ¹⁵ Through his body on the cross, Christ set aside the law with all its commands and rules. He planned to create one new people out of Jews and Gentiles. He wanted to make peace between them. ¹⁶ He planned to bring both Jews and Gentiles back to God as one body. He planned to do this through the cross. On that cross, Christ put to death their hatred toward one another. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ Through Christ we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit.

¹⁹ So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family. ²⁰ You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building. ²¹ The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord. ²² And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit.

God’s Wonderful Plan for the Gentiles

3 I, Paul, am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. I am in prison because of my work among you who are Gentiles.

² I am sure you have heard that God appointed me to share his grace with you. ³ I’m talking about the mystery God showed me. I have already written a little about it. ⁴ By reading about this mystery, you will be able to understand what I know. You will know about the mystery of Christ. ⁵ The mystery was not made known to people of other times. But now the Holy Spirit has made this mystery known to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God’s promises are for Gentiles as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus.

⁷ I now serve the good news because God gave me his grace. His power is at work in me. ⁸ I am by far the least important of all the Lord’s holy people. But he gave me the grace to preach to the Gentiles about the unlimited riches that Christ gives. ⁹ God told me to make clear to everyone how the mystery came about. In times past it was kept hidden in the mind of God, who created all things. ¹⁰ He wanted the rulers and authorities in the heavenly world to come to know his great wisdom. The church would make it known to them. ¹¹ That was God’s plan from the beginning. He has fulfilled his plan through Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² Through him and through faith in him we can approach God. We can come to him freely. We can come without fear. ¹³ So here is what I’m asking you to do. Don’t lose hope because I am suffering for you. It will lead to the time when God will give you his glory.

Paul Prays for the Ephesians

¹⁴ I bow in prayer to the Father because of my work among you. ¹⁵ From the Father every family in heaven and on earth gets its name. ¹⁶ I pray that he will use his glorious riches to make you strong. May his Holy Spirit give you his power deep down inside you. ¹⁷ Then Christ will live in your hearts because you believe in him. And I pray that your love will have deep roots. I pray that it will have a strong foundation. ¹⁸ May you have power together with all the Lord’s holy people to understand Christ’s love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is. ¹⁹ And may you know his love, even though it can’t be known completely. Then you will be filled with everything God has for you.

²⁰ God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us. ²¹ Give him glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. Give him glory through all time and for ever and ever. Amen.

Growing Up Together in the Body of Christ

4 I am a prisoner because of the Lord. So I am asking you to live a life worthy of what God chose you for. ² Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love. ³ The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one. Let peace keep you together. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit. You were appointed to one hope when you were chosen. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith and one baptism. ⁶ There is one God and Father of all. He is over everything. He is through everything. He is in everything.

⁷ But each one of us has received a gift of grace. These gifts are given to us by Christ. ⁸ That is why Scripture says,

⁹ What does “he went up” mean? It can only mean that he also came down to the lower, earthly places. ¹⁰ The one who came down is the same one who went up. He went up higher than all the heavens. He did it in order to fill all creation. ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the gift of the apostles to the church. He gave the prophets and those who preach the good news. And he also gave the pastors and teachers as a gift to the church. ¹² He gave all these people so that they might prepare God’s people to serve. Then the body of Christ will be built up. ¹³ That will continue until we all become one in the faith. We will also become one in the knowledge of God’s Son. Then we will be grown up in the faith. We will receive everything that Christ has for us.

¹⁴ We will no longer be babies in the faith. We won’t be like ships tossed around by the waves. We won’t be blown here and there by every new teaching. We won’t be blown around by cleverness and tricks. Certain people use them to hide their evil plans. ¹⁵ Instead, we will speak the truth in love. So we will grow up in every way to become the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the body. ¹⁶ He makes the whole body grow and build itself up in love. Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together.

Teachings for Living as Christians

¹⁷ Here is what I’m telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live as the Gentiles do. Their thoughts don’t have any purpose. ¹⁸ They can’t understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That’s because they don’t know him. And they don’t know him because their hearts are stubborn. ¹⁹ They have lost all feeling for what is right. So they have given themselves over to all kinds of evil pleasures. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they are full of greed.

²⁰ But that is not the way of life in Christ that you learned about. ²¹ You heard about Christ and were taught about life in him. What you learned was the truth about Jesus. ²² You were taught not to live the way you used to. You must get rid of your old way of life. That’s because it has been made impure by the desire for things that lead you astray. ²³ You were taught to be made new in your thinking. ²⁴ You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is.

²⁵ So each of you must get rid of your lying. Speak the truth to your neighbor. We are all parts of one body. ²⁶ Scripture says, “When you are angry, do not sin.” (Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. ²⁷ Don’t give the devil a chance. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need.

²⁹ Don’t let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen. ³⁰ Do not make God’s Holy Spirit mourn. The Holy Spirit is the proof that you belong to God. And the Spirit is the proof that God will set you completely free. ³¹ Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Don’t have anything to do with any kind of hatred. ³² Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done. 5 ¹ You are the children that God dearly loves. So follow his example. ² Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

³ There should not be even a hint of sexual sin among you. Don’t do anything impure. And do not always want more and more. These are not the things God’s holy people should do. ⁴ There must not be any bad language or foolish talk or dirty jokes. They are out of place. Instead, you should give thanks. ⁵ Here is what you can be sure of. Those who give themselves over to sexual sins are lost. So are people whose lives are impure. The same is true of those who always want more and more. People who do these things might as well worship statues of gods. No one who does them will receive a share in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶ Don’t let anyone fool you with worthless words. People who say things like that aren’t obeying God. He is angry with them. ⁷ So don’t go along with people like that.

⁸ At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. ⁹ The light produces what is completely good, right and true. ¹⁰ Find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the acts of darkness. They don’t produce anything good. Show what they are really like. ¹² It is shameful even to talk about what people who don’t obey do in secret. ¹³ But everything the light shines on can be seen. And everything that the light shines on becomes a light. ¹⁴ That is why it is said,

¹⁵ So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren’t wise. Live like people who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity. The days are evil. ¹⁷ So don’t be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord wants. ¹⁸ Don’t fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. ²⁰ Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give thanks to him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Teachings for Christian Families

²¹ Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ.

²² Wives, follow the lead of your own husbands as you follow the Lord. ²³ The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. The church is Christ’s body. He is its Savior. ²⁴ The church follows the lead of Christ. In the same way, wives should follow the lead of their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives. Love them just as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her. ²⁶ He did it to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her with water and the word. ²⁷ He did it to bring her to himself as a brightly shining church. He wants a church that has no stain or wrinkle or any other flaw. He wants a church that is holy and without blame. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands should love their wives. They should love them as they love their own bodies. Any man who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body. Instead, they feed and care for their body. And this is what Christ does for the church. ³⁰ We are parts of his body. ³¹ Scripture says, “That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one.” (Genesis 2:24) ³² That is a deep mystery. But I’m talking about Christ and the church. ³³ A husband also must love his wife. He must love her just as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband.

6 Children, obey your parents as believers in the Lord. Obey them because it’s the right thing to do. ² Scripture says, “Honor your father and mother.” That is the first commandment that has a promise. ³ “Then things will go well with you. You will live a long time on the earth.” (Deuteronomy 5:16)

⁴ Fathers, don’t make your children angry. Instead, instruct them and teach them the ways of the Lord as you raise them.

⁵ Slaves, obey your masters here on earth. Respect them and honor them with a heart that is true. Obey them just as you would obey Christ. ⁶ Don’t obey them only to please them when they are watching. Do it because you are slaves of Christ. Be sure your heart does what God wants. ⁷ Serve your masters with all your heart. Work as serving the Lord and not as serving people. ⁸ You know that the Lord will give each person a reward. He will give it to them in keeping with the good they do. It doesn’t matter whether they are a slave or not.

⁹ Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. When you warn them, don’t be too hard on them. You know that the God who is their Master and yours is in heaven. And he treats everyone the same.

God’s Armor for Believers

¹⁰ Finally, let the Lord make you strong. Depend on his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor. Then you can remain strong against the devil’s evil plans. ¹² Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world. ¹³ So put on all of God’s armor. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing. ¹⁴ So remain strong in the faith. Put the belt of truth around your waist. Put the armor of godliness on your chest. ¹⁵ Wear on your feet what will prepare you to tell the good news of peace. ¹⁶ Also, pick up the shield of faith. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Put on the helmet of salvation. And take the sword of the Holy Spirit. The sword is God’s word.

¹⁸ At all times, pray by the power of the Spirit. Pray all kinds of prayers. Be watchful, so that you can pray. Always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me. Pray that whenever I speak, the right words will be given to me. Then I can be bold as I tell the mystery of the good news. ²⁰ Because of the good news, I am being held by chains as the Lord’s messenger. So pray that I will be bold as I preach the good news. That’s what I should do.

Final Greetings

²¹ Tychicus is a dear brother. He is faithful in serving the Lord. He will tell you everything about me. Then you will know how I am and what I am doing. ²² That’s why I am sending him to you. I want you to know how we are. And I want him to encourage you.

²³ May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give peace to the brothers and sisters. May they also give the believers love and faith.

²⁴ May grace be given to everyone who loves our Lord Jesus Christ with a love that will never die.